In a Shanahan Productions video of the incident, it’s pointed out that Rinaldo “launches into (Ruhwedel), picking his head and causing an injury. This is an illegal check to the head.”

The replay clearly shows Rinaldo going out of his way to hit Ruhwedel, and coming up a bit too high for comfort. He essentially leads with his elbow as he does so.

“Rinaldo takes a poor angle of approach and does not make full body contact,” a disembodied voice on the video points out. “Instead, he launches into Rehwedel with force, picking his head and making it the main point of contact.”

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The video also indicates Rinaldo’s past history — he was suspended two games in 2012 for an illegal hit, and was also fined twice by Shanahan’s office — played into the suspension decision.

“It’s just unfortunate that it has to be the ... remainder of the season,” Rinaldo said. “I was getting in a good groove; it’s just unfortunate I can’t be playing.

“Just one of those hits that kind of slipped away from me. Bad timing and a little vulnerability on his side of the puck, too. So my bad and his bad at the same time.”

In a quick statement, Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren called the suspension “harsh.” But Holmgren added, “we respect the league’s decision.”

Tye McGinn has been a healthy scratch the past two games, but this could instead clear the way for Steve Downie, who has been recovering from the effects of a concussion, to rejoin the lineup when the club plays the Panthers in South Florida Tuesday night.

In the Shanahan video, it’s illustrated that Rinaldo “does not make contact unavoidable in what otherwise would have been a legal full body check. Nor does he materially change the position of his head, just prior to or simultaneous with contact.”

Judging by his reaction to the Rinaldo hit after the game, the suspension should make Buffalo coach Ted Nolan happy.

“Those are the types of hits we have to get rid of,” Nolan said. “Those are dangerous ... you also put a fellow player in jeopardy of his career. Head injuries and concussions, we all know how serious they are. But we’ve still got guys with flying elbows going directly to the head.

“I don’t know if it’s a response. The referee’s got to throw him out right away. It’s just a dirty hit and we don’t need it in our game.”

Even an experience penalty box resident like Craig Berube knew what he saw in Rinaldo’s hit. Even if he didn’t really see it.

“I’m sure it’s a head shot,” he said after the game. “I didn’t really look at it; I just saw it on the replay.”

That said, the Flyers coach, who at the Sunday morning skate had praised Rinaldo for what he considered “smarter play” of late, has been a solid Rinaldo supporter.

“He played well, he played well,” Berube insisted after the Buffalo game. “I thought he played well in Boston, too. He did a lot of good things out there — moving his feet, scored a goal. He takes the body, hits, he disrupts people. He’s a physical player.”

Sometimes, however, there are consequences for playing that way.

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The Flyers went oh-and-2 against the Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning on their last trip to Florida Thanksgiving week. That has nothing to do with now, Berube said.

“I think it’s a different team,” he said of his club, which as of Monday still had a chance to clinch a playoff spot with a victory over the Panthers. “But obviously, going down there, we’re playing Florida. ... They’re a dangerous team right now. They play with a lot of confidence, and they move the puck well. They’ve got a lot of young players that are skating and playing well, so we’ve got to expect a real tough game.”